The Brain that Changes Itself

"The Brain that Changes Itself" by Dr. Doidge is an interesting read about the workings of our brains.

Some of the 'almost miraculous' therapies being used on people with brain injuries or problems like phantom pains in missing limbs are described in this book [using a mirror box and watching yourself move the remaining limb takes the pain away because the brain wants the missing limb wants to move, and is tricked].

Dr Doidge makes an easy read of understanding how the brain works and how it can be manipulated to overcome problems.

"Plasticity" is the theme - adaptation is a great gift for the human race.

Many examples of people who have adapted despite huge obstacles. i.e. A woman who had no sense of balance even when sitting down [vestibular function was missing] felt like she was falling every moment of every day, for years. She could not concentrate on anything else at all because the feeling was so real. Standing up was impossible.
The neurologists wired up a plastic strip and put it on her tongue and hooked it to a computer monitor... when she tilted her head down, the plastic strip gave gentle shocks to the front of her tongue... etc etc ... and eventually that part of her brain that the tongue is associated with took over the vestibular function. She is now functional, after 20 years of "falling".

Ok, ok, you gotta read it the way Dr Doidge writes it, but it is very cool stuff.

Learning disabilities overcome by seeing how the brain is dysfunctioning... why TV watching by 2 yr olds causes ADD and Autism....

And especialy interesting to me was that PAIN is "allways and only in the brain" ...chronic pain is the brain being "easily triggered", its not hysteria or being a whimp - some people just don't have much and some have wayyyy too much, depending on the brain.

Anyone out there interested in this kind of thing?

[url=http://www.normandoidge.com/]Dr Doidge website - and a photo of the book cover [/url]

[url=http://www.arrowsmithschool.org/articles.htm]"Brain Book" review ; Yarrowsmith School [/url]

[ 24 November 2007: Message edited by: oldgoat ]